Ed Sheeran - Autumn Variations

on White Vinyl Although it picks up a thread left hanging from - (subtract), which it follows by a mere matter of months, Autumn Variations represents a major break from tradition for Ed Sheeran in some important ways. The first of his albums to not follow a mathematical scheme in its title, Autumn Variations is also the first not to be released through a major label -- he put it out on his own imprint, Gingerbread Man -- and it also was made with one main collaborator, Aaron Dessner of the National. Many of these fresh starts are felt more than heard on Autumn Variations, which spends its 14 tracks in sepia-toned reflection. Sheeran's ruminations are inspired by the plights of his friends and family, a lyrical distance that amounts to a distinction without much difference; his reflections here feel as earnest as the personal musings that fueled -. Similarly, the vibe of Autumn Variations doesn't feel markedly distinct from -. Perhaps Dessner helps Sheeran keep his ebullience subdued -